Show Don’t Tell Worksheet

Creative writing lesson 10: Show, don’t tell · Set 777 · 40 questions

Writer's tip (Show the actions): A telling sentence names the feeling: was sad, felt tired. A showing sentence describes actions, faces and bodies: tears, yawns, shaking knees. Pick the showing sentence that fits the right feeling.

1. 1.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Tenzin stamped his foot and slammed the door.” (a) angry (b) scared (c) bored
2. 2.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Kavya was hungry.” (a) telling (b) showing
3. 3.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Saanvi is happy? (a) Saanvi drummed her fingers and stared at the clock. (b) Saanvi was happy. (c) Saanvi grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road.
4. 4.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Joseph’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.” (a) scared (b) angry (c) cold
5. 5.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is cold? (a) Aarav dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed. (b) Aarav shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (c) Aarav was cold.
6. 6.Which feeling does this sentence show?
   “Yash shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.” (a) cold (b) tired (c) sad
7. 7.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Meera is hungry? (a) Meera gobbled the rice and asked for a second helping. (b) Meera was hungry. (c) Meera’s eyelids drooped, and she yawned again and again.
8. 8.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is angry? (a) Diya stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) Diya was angry. (c) Diya froze and held her breath as the floor creaked.
9. 9.Is this sentence showing or telling?
   “Diya felt very scared.” (a) showing (b) telling
10. 10.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is scared? (a) Tenzin was scared. (b) Tenzin’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (c) Tenzin’s nose turned pink, and he pulled on a woolly cap.
11. 11.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Vihaan was tired.” (a) showing (b) telling
12. 12.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Ishaan sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) cold (b) happy (c) bored
13. 13.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is happy? (a) Tenzin was happy. (b) Tenzin beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Tears filled Tenzin’s eyes, and he stared at the floor.
14. 14.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Arjun sighed and flipped through the same comic again.” (a) showing (b) telling
15. 15.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Aarav is hungry? (a) Aarav licked his lips as the smell of dosas drifted in. (b) Aarav beamed and hugged everyone in sight. (c) Aarav was hungry.
16. 16.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Farhan was tired.” (a) telling (b) showing
17. 17.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is sad? (a) Vihaan grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Vihaan was sad. (c) Vihaan sat alone, hugging his knees and sniffing.
18. 18.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Pooja shivered and stamped her feet in the snow.” (a) angry (b) happy (c) cold
19. 19.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Sneha is scared? (a) Sneha froze and held her breath as the floor creaked. (b) Sneha was scared. (c) Sneha’s tummy rumbled loudly in the middle of class.
20. 20.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Imran is happy? (a) Imran grinned from ear to ear and skipped down the road. (b) Imran was happy. (c) Imran kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.
21. 21.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Vihaan is sad? (a) Vihaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow. (b) Tears filled Vihaan’s eyes, and he stared at the floor. (c) Vihaan was sad.
22. 22.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is sad? (a) Pooja rubbed her hands and blew on her fingers. (b) Pooja was sad. (c) Tears filled Pooja’s eyes, and she stared at the floor.
23. 23.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Yash is scared? (a) Yash’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet. (b) Yash was scared. (c) Yash folded his arms and glared at his brother.
24. 24.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel dragged his feet upstairs and flopped on the bed.” (a) tired (b) scared (c) hungry
25. 25.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “A tear rolled slowly down Maria’s cheek.” (a) bored (b) hungry (c) sad
26. 26.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tara’s shoulders drooped as she walked slowly home.” (a) telling (b) showing
27. 27.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Tenzin is cold? (a) Tenzin was cold. (b) Tenzin’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door. (c) Tenzin’s teeth chattered, and he pulled his shawl tighter.
28. 28.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Joseph is happy? (a) Joseph counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time. (b) Joseph was happy. (c) Joseph laughed, clapped and twirled around the room.
29. 29.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Rohan is happy? (a) Rohan was happy. (b) Rohan folded his arms and glared at his brother. (c) Rohan beamed and hugged everyone in sight.
30. 30.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.” (a) showing (b) telling
31. 31.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Neel’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) scared (b) hungry (c) angry
32. 32.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is happy? (a) Pooja shivered and stamped her feet in the snow. (b) Pooja hummed a tune and could not stop smiling. (c) Pooja was happy.
33. 33.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Rohan’s knees shook, and he hid behind the door.” (a) sad (b) scared (c) angry
34. 34.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ananya felt very angry.” (a) telling (b) showing
35. 35.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Pooja is angry? (a) Pooja stamped her foot and slammed the door. (b) A tear rolled slowly down Pooja’s cheek. (c) Pooja was angry.
36. 36.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Tenzin’s heart thumped, and he hid under the sheet.” (a) telling (b) showing
37. 37.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Ishaan shivered and stamped his feet in the snow.” (a) showing (b) telling
38. 38.Which feeling does this sentence show?
    “Nisha kicked a pebble round and round the empty yard.” (a) bored (b) tired (c) sad
39. 39.Is this sentence showing or telling?
    “Saanvi sat alone, hugging her knees and sniffing.” (a) showing (b) telling
40. 40.Which sentence SHOWS (without telling) that Diya is sad? (a) Diya was sad. (b) Tears filled Diya’s eyes, and she stared at the floor. (c) Diya counted the ceiling fans for the tenth time.

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